Chapter 43

In the capital of the autumn moon, the city was less fervent than in summer, with a bit more sedimentation. The golden leaves of the wutong trees swayed, and the green pines were lush and vibrant. Inside the small and exquisite quadrangle, the flowers that had bloomed profusely in summer had gradually faded away from the grass, hibernating in the familiar soil, waiting for the arrival of the new spring after half a year.

The flowers fell, and it was another autumn moon, another cycle of the seasons.

"Ha..."

A low, soft murmur, like a lazy cat, a small head quietly poked out from the warm, soft quilt. Her hair flowed like a waterfall, her skin whiter than snow. She stretched out her arm, rubbed her eyes unwillingly, and slowly opened her eyes, which shone like black gemstones, radiating a dazzling and charming light.

On the bed a few feet away, the thin blanket was neatly folded, without a single wrinkle, and the person who had been there was nowhere to be found. Xue'er turned over and quietly looked at the neatly folded blanket, a sweet and joyful smile curling at the corners of her mouth.

Since Qingying and the girl had held hands, their relationship had undergone a new change. The faint barrier of their different statuses had disappeared, and a subtle and tacit understanding had been added. Sometimes, before Qingying finished his sentence, she already knew what he would say next; and when she wanted something, he always delivered it to her before she could ask. The moving feeling of being understood, the pleasant surprises that came one after another... all these were indescribably wonderful. The girl couldn't help but wonder why, after only two months of being together, she felt as if they had known each other for twenty years?

Although they hadn't yet done... that kind of thing, he had already held her hand, so she was his, right? Thinking of this, the girl's heart beat wildly, and her pale cheeks flushed with a charming red. Recalling the tingling sensation when her hand was held by him, the girl's cheeks turned red. She gently covered her smooth face, her body wriggled, and her slender legs swayed. In a moment, the quilt that had been neatly spread on the bed was all wrapped around her. Feeling the soft and warm sensation enveloping her body, the girl suddenly felt a burst of childlike joy, rolling back and forth on the large bed, fully releasing her happy mood.

"Qingying... Qingying... hehe..." The girl murmured softly, then suddenly burst into laughter. Her smile was sweet and gentle, clear and warm, like a mountain spring, a full moon, and a blooming snow lotus.

"Ching..." At this moment, the foreign clock in the corner rang without sentiment, disrupting this beautiful scene. The girl rolled on the bed for a while, then, like a frightened little animal, she sprang up from the bed, revealing her pink undergarment and a large expanse of snow-white skin. Feeling the chill of autumn, the girl whimpered and quickly retreated back into the quilt, putting on various clothes inside. She bit her lip, as if making a great decision, and then, with a determined effort, she threw off the warm and comfortable quilt and jumped to the ground.

On the dressing table, red and green cosmetics, wooden combs, and flower hairpins were scattered. Sitting in front of the table, the girl began to dress for the day. After a short while, a radiant young girl stood there, her waist as smooth as silk, her ears adorned with bright moon-shaped earrings. Looking at her familiar and beautiful reflection in the mirror, the girl nodded in satisfaction. She took a few pieces of silver from the drawer, picked up her lunch box, and walked out the door.

Pushing open the door, the sunlight was blinding, and the girl squinted her eyes. At her feet, a winding path of cobblestones led straight to the side gate. Feeling the uneven but comfortable sensation under her feet, breathing in the fresh morning air, the girl's mood was greatly improved. She hummed an unknown tune, happy and content.

The quadrangle where Qingying was temporarily staying was located in the northeast of the capital. Opening the door, a bustling main street was in view. Although many high-ranking officials lived here, there were still many vendors and merchants setting up stalls. By the time it was the hour of Chen, the entire street had awakened from the darkness of night, with people bustling about, shoulder to shoulder, the level of activity seemingly unaffected by the unfavorable war situation.

The girl, like a sprite, gracefully weaved through the crowded street, drawing the attention of many. The rise of the Self-Strengthening Movement not only brought modern ships and guns to the Qing dynasty but also brought European cultural trends and atmospheres to the ancient land of China. After years of subtle changes, people's reactions to such unconventional phenomena were far less intense than they had been twenty years ago. Seeing a young girl of the flower age not being reserved and virtuous, staying at home to learn needlework, but instead often going out alone, no one stood up to preach traditional morals with righteous indignation.

After passing through the streets and alleys, she arrived at the shop. A middle-aged woman in her forties was recording accounts behind the counter. Seeing the girl, a smile appeared on her slightly plump face. Since the girl and Qingying came to Beijing, she had been buying breakfast from this shop, and the middle-aged woman had long remembered the girl's clear and beautiful face. Without being told, the woman skillfully placed various foods in two porcelain bowls and then took the girl's lunch box, neatly stacking the food inside.

"Rustle." Heavy footsteps, a loud thud, and a clear metallic clanging suddenly reached the girl's ears, accompanied by faint, mournful cries. The girl had been in the capital for over two months and had never heard such a sound before. She turned her head in surprise and looked around. After a short while, the strange sound grew louder, and a scene she couldn't understand came into view.

A group of city guards in gray uniforms, armed with inferior long spears made of white waxwood, walked over. Since they were in the capital, the imperial city, and many high-ranking officials lived here, these soldiers did not rampage through the streets like the ruffians in films but instead formed a neat column, not harming the surrounding civilians. On the other side, a group of ragged, emaciated beggars were being forced to move forward with the tips of the spears pressing against their backs. Each pair of feet was shackled with iron chains. If they moved too slowly, the soldiers would strike them heavily with the shafts of their spears, regardless of whether they were the elderly, weak, or women.

The girl's face showed a look of distress, her teeth biting her lip, her large eyes full of confusion and compassion. The group of beggars, mostly old people and women, were emaciated and yellow. Why were they being treated this way? Just being shackled was bad enough, but they were also being beaten mercilessly by the soldiers!

"Auntie, what's going on? Are they all criminals? Why have I never heard of such a thing in the capital after living here for over two months?" Watching the strange group move hurriedly and gradually disappear into the distance, the girl slowly turned around and asked the woman in a slightly hoarse voice.

The woman shook her head slightly and said in a low voice, "They are all refugees from the northeastern front, who thought the capital was the safest place, so they all came here. Unfortunately, the reality is not as good as they imagined. A few days ago, the court still accepted these people and gave them a bowl of thin porridge every day. But as more and more refugees from the northeast flooded into the capital, the nobles complained that they were affecting their living environment, so the emperor issued an edict to drive all the refugees out of the capital. To prevent them from escaping on the way, the Shuntian Prefecture came up with this method, chaining their feet to prevent them from running away."

"Northeastern front? But the official gazettes have been saying that we are winning in Korea!" The girl widened her beautiful eyes.

"Little girl, you are too naive. How much of what the Qing dynasty openly shows is trustworthy? I have a relative who runs errands in the Military Affairs Office. According to him, the situation in Korea has long been as bad as a muddy road in the rain. The court's troops are all retreating to the country. If not, why would there be so many refugees from the northeast?" The woman sighed, "Hasn't the Qing dynasty already carried out the Self-Strengthening Movement and the Tongguang Revival? Yet, we can't even defeat a small country like Japan!..."

The girl's mind was in chaos, and all she could see was the tragic scene of the poor people being forcibly driven out of the capital. Listening to the woman's incessant chatter, she suddenly remembered something. A few days ago, Qingying had mentioned something about the defeat of the front-line army. At the time, she thought the foreign prince was talking nonsense and didn't take it seriously. But now, it seemed that what he said might be true. If the front line hadn't been defeated, why would the people within the country's borders leave their homes and travel thousands of miles from Fengtian to Zhili?

The girl clenched her teeth, wanting to help the refugees, but when she felt the silver coins in her pocket, she was disheartened to find that after paying the bill, the few pieces of silver she had left were not enough to buy any food. Although her and Qingying's monthly expenses were generous, dividing them among so many people would not provide much help.

Wait... Since Qingying is a prince of Germany and the second son of their emperor, could he use his influence to get his country to intervene in this war?

Thinking of this, the girl's heart raced, and the more she thought about it, the more possible it seemed. Germany had already sold a large ironclad warship to the Qing dynasty, and mediating the conflict between Qing and Japan was quite possible. If Germany could successfully mediate the war between the Qing and Japan, the benefits would be far greater than what she could achieve by using a little money to help the refugees!

But... If she did this, wouldn't Qingying be in a difficult position? If he became dissatisfied with her because of this, what would she do...

The girl thought deeply, her beautiful face showing a complex expression, struggling and hesitating, and for a moment, she stood there, frozen.